District maps dozens of planned housing projects, hires consultant to forecast enrollment impact

Oak Creek — District officials on July 14 summarized more than two dozen completed or proposed housing projects across Oak Creek and Franklin and told the board the district will hire a consultant to model how new housing could affect enrollment. Chief Business and Finance Officer Blaise Paul and enrollment analyst Blaze (presenting) said many recent multifamily projects have yielded few resident students: examples cited include Creekside Crossing (142 units) with four resident students and several other apartment complexes with similarly low student yields. Paul and Blaze said single‑family developments typically produce more students per unit than dense multifamily projects. Blaze walked the board through neighborhoods and named projects including Emerald Row, HUB 13, The Oaks, Seasons at Orchard Hills, Heyday, Lakeshore Commons and a recently submitted 44‑lot concept near Deerfield. He said current resident head count over the last decade is “relatively stable,” down 49 students overall: nonresident enrollments are up 347 while resident students are down 396. District staff told the board they will retain a planning consultant, MDRolfers (a demographic/planning consultant), to analyze neighborhood change, birth‑rate trends, price points and comparable communities and to deliver a formal projection by about December 2025. The district estimated the consultant work at about $25,000. Board members asked whether new units had produced immediate kindergarten or 4K enrollments; staff said 4K registrations historically trail into August and that the district had capacity for additional 4K seats this year. Staff said their work will examine not only unit counts but likely student yield per housing type and price point. No formal action was taken at the July 14 meeting; staff said the consultant engagement and resulting projection will guide future staffing and facility planning.